Hand knitting stitch holder



Feb. 24, 1942. H A, YATE-s 2,274,572

AND KNITTING STITCH HOLDER Filed April 22, 1941 zo 76 5 /5 f '1. l Figa. /9 /5 /7 0 f v m /5/4 f /Z INVENTOR ,HaRY AYTEE.

ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 24, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HAND KNITTING STITCH HoLDER i Harry A. Yates, Fairfield, Conn.

, Application April 22, 1941, Serial No. 389,703

`(Cl. (i6-117) Claims.

The present invention relates to a hand knit- Vting stitch holder.

In the art of hand knitting it is customary, when knitting various garments which require that one or more openings be maintained in the body of the garment, at some given point or points, to temporarily transfer from the knitting needles a number of stitches to a stitch holder for later consideration, so that the main knitting can be continued irrespective of the stitches on the stitch holder. The stitches on the stitch holder are later picked up and knitted in, when finishing that section of the garment. y

One well-known type of stitch holder is similar to a large safety pin, except that a U-shaped bend is provided instead of the usual spring loop part of the safety pin, one'leg .having at its end the usual type of safety pin catch permanently secured thereto, and which is adapted to be engaged by the pointed end of the other leg to thus secure the pin with respect to the stitches slipped thereon. The wire or bone of this type of safety pin stitch holder is of uniform thickness throughout. The safety pin type of stitch holder cannot be operated reversely due to the clasp fixed to one of the legs, which in turn necessitates that the holder be put on or taken oi through the medium of one leg only. Due to this fact, when it is -desired to resumethe knitting of the stitches on this holder, it oftentimes requires an adjustment through complicated manipulation, by first removing the stitches from the holder to a knitting pin and then knitting them in from either end that may be required.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a stitch holder which is reversible, so that it can be removed from the work in either direction, and to this end it is proposed to provide a stitch holder having the two legs of similar form at their ends so that the knitting stitches may be engaged with, or disengaged from either leg, and further to provide interlocking means cooperating between the legs whereby they will be normally held in closed position and can be conveniently opened, such locking means being in the form of a substantially continuous portion of the wire having a gradual curve, which will permit the stitches to be readily slipped over such locking means.

' It is further proposed to provide duplicate point means upon the two legs of the stitch holder, having a crosse-sectional size substantially corresponding to` the knitting needles being employed. In practice this size will approximate a number of sizes of knitting needles within a given range. Thus for instance one size of stitch holder may be suitable for size #0 to #3 needles, another size may be suitable for sizes #4 to #7 v needles,.etc.

It is proposed to provide in combination with v the point ends, having their thickness corresponding substantially to the thickness of the knitting needle, a loop portion of smaller gauge to receive the removed stitches. By this arrangement the removed stitches `will not become tightly bound upon the stitch holder, they may be readily slipped on to the stitch holder'from the knitting needle, without undergoing any change in size, and when they are removed from the stitch holder to the knitting needle the enlarged end over which they pass will cause them to .assume the proper size to be conveniently engaged upon the knitting needle. It is further proposed to provide a stitch holder in which means are provided to enable continuous knitting operations directly to or from the holder from either point. Also the removed stitches may remain upon the stitch holder according to the invention for an indefinite length of time, without assuming the objectionable unevenness and wavy form such as characteristictlly takes place with other types of stitch holders heretofore in use.

With the above and other objects in view an embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, and this embodiment will f be hereinafter more fully described with reference thereto, and the invention will be finally pointed out in the claims.

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a hand knittingr stitch holder, according to the exemplary illustrated embodiment of the invention, the two sides of the holder being shown in their normal closed or locked relation.

Fig. 2 is an edge view, as seen from the top Fig. 1. v

Fig. 3 is a side elevation, with the two sides of the holder in their open or unlocked position.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation, on a reduced scale from the scale employed in Figs. l to 3, and showing a piece of knitting engaged by the stitch holder, the dot-and-dash lines showing the position of the stitch holder when reversed with respect to the position shown in full lines.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation showing the stitch holder in open position and engaged with a portion of the knitting stitch loops at the edge of a piece of knitting, a knitting needle being shown engaged with the remaining loops.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view, partially in elevation and partially in section, showing a modied method of forming the point end portions of the stitch holder.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawing,

Referring to the drawing, the hand knitting stitch holder, according to the exemplary illustrated embodiment of the invention, is formed from suitable springy material, such for instance as drawn brass wire, steel, and aluminum alloy, and comprises an elongated loop portion having parallel side legs I and II connected by a U- bend I2 at one end, the other ends being curved toward each other and thereupon reversely curved to provide interlocking twist catch portions I3 and I4, which are curved laterally along ogee curves as seen in plan in Fig. 2, so that the interlocking parts are in the form of a pair of spiral twists, which will automatically fall into interlocking engagement with each other as the two sides of the holder are sprung past each other and will be disengaged by imparting a compressing and twisting motion to the extremities of the holder. The curves of these interlocking portions are formed on relatively large radii, so that there are no sharp bends lbetween the legs I and II and the extremities of the holder, and thus the stitch loops of the knitting will be permitted to move smoothly and freely over the locking portions as the knitting is engaged or disengaged with respect to the holder, and as will presently more fully appear.

The interlocking portions I3 and i4 are respectively-extended into needle point end portions I5 and I6 which are of greater thickness than the interlocking portions I3 and I4, the legs l0 and II, and the U-bend I2. These end portions are normally arranged in spaced parallel relation to each other and are connected to the respective locking portions I3 and I4 by inclined shoulder portions Il and I8, the surfaces of which blend into the surfaces of the point end portions and the locking portions, so that there will be a smooth transition of the knitting stitch loops in either direction over the shoulder portions. The extremities of the end portions are respectively provided with points I9 and 2i) which are similar to the points of the usual knitting needle. The U-bend i2 connecting the side legs It and II is of sulicient width that the knitting may be readily passed from one side leg to the other over this U-bend Without straining the knitting stitch loops. The thickness of the needle point end portions I5 and I6 is approximately the thickness of the needle being used with the particular knitting being worked on, while the thickness of the interlocking portions I3 and Ill, the legs portions IU and I I, and the U-bend portion I2 is substantially smaller, and preferably uniform throughout these portions. This diiferential thickness may be produced in any suitable manner, as by swedging, or drawing, or other suitable methods.

In Fig. 6 I have illustrated a modied needle point end structure in which each of the ends 2| of the stitch holder is of the same thickness of wire as the interlocking portions and the side legs and is threaded and enclosed in an internally threaded shell 212 screwed thereon and which thus provides the increased thickness of the needle point end. Needle point ends of different diameters may thus be conveniently provided. The shell 22 is pointed at one end, as at 23, and is beveled at the other end, as. at 24..

In the. operati-on of the. hand knitting stitch Lli) holder, according to the invention, the number of stitch loops which it is desired to temporarily transfer to the stitch holder, and which are engaged upon the knitting needle, are slipped to one leg of the stitch holder by individually removing the stitch loops from the end of the knitting needle to one of the needle point ends of the stitch holder, gradually sliding the stitch holder into place as the knitting needle is withdrawn. As the stitch loops are slipped from the knitting needle to the enlarged point end of the stitch holder they remain substantially in the same position as they were upon the knitting needle until they pass over the shoulder at the inner end of the needle point end to the locking portion and thence to the leg of the holder, the loops being relatively loosely engaged upon these portions, so that they will slide freely thereon without any tendency to pull or contract.

The length of the needle point end is sufficiently long so that a number of the stitch loops will be simultaneously engaged thereon, and consequently there will be no tendency for the individual loops being slipped from the end of the knitting needle to the stitch holder to become unevenly stretched or contracted. When the loops are all upon the leg of the stitch holder they will be relatively loosely engaged therewith, and due to the fact that they have passed over the enlarged end of the stitch holder they will be of uniform size, so that there will be no tendency to unevenness or waviness. Also the loose engagement is such that any contraction that may occur in the loops while the knitting is allowed to stand for a considerable time will not be sufcient to bind them upon the holder.

As seen in Fig. 4 the piece of knitting illustrated has been removed from a knitting needle having its point end at 'the right, the needle having been withdrawn toward the left, and the stitch holder engaged with the knitting by movement to the left to the position as shown in full lines, where the loops are shown engaged with the lower leg I I of the stitch holder. If it is desired to re-engage the knitting needle in the same direction, that is by inserting it from left to right, then the stitch holder is unlocked and is Withdrawn toward the right, the knitting loops being individually slipped upon the knitting needle. as they leave the pointed needle end I6 of the stitch holder. It will be observed that during this operation'the stitch loops which have been engaged upon the relatively thin leg II of the stitch holder are passed over the relatively thick needle point end I6, so that4 if there has been any contraction in their size they are opened up to the proper size for engaging the needle, the needle point end being of suicient length so that each loop will engage it for a sufficient distance to insure proper opening of the loop. If, on the-other hand, it is desired to. re-engage the knitting needle in the opposite direction, that is by inserting it from right to left, then it is only necessary to reverse the position of the stitch holder to the dot-and-dash line position, shown in Fig. 4, in which position the stitch loops are engaged upon the leg IU and are removed over the needle point end I5 by movement of the stitch holder to the left, as shown in Fig. 5, this illustration showing the position where the stitch loops are partially engaged upon the knitting needle 2.5, and partially upony the curved locking portion I3 and the leg I6'. It will be noted that the relatively large radius, of the curved locking portion i's such that the loops will slide smoothly and freely over this portion between the leg portion and the needle point end portion.

I have illustrated and described preferred and satisfactory embodiments of the invention, but it will be understood that changes may be made therein within the spirit and scope thereof, as dened in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A hand knitting stitch holder, comprising a pair of spaced side leg portions, al connecting portion connecting said leg portions at one end and constituting means for transferring stitches from one leg portion to the other, a pair of needle `point end portions respectively connected to the other ends of said leg portions for engaging stitches on and disengaging stitches from either of said respective leg'portions, and interlocking formations on said side leg portions adjacent said needle point end portions adapted to be engaged and disengaged with respect to each other and each adapted in their disengaged relation to permit stitches to pass thereover in either direction to or from said side leg portions and said needle point end portions.

2. A hand knitting stitch holder, comprisin a pair of spaced side leg portions, 4a connecting portion connecting said leg portions at one end and constituting means for transferring stitches from one leg portion to the other, and a pair of interlocking formations respectively provided at the other ends of said leg portions adapted to be engaged and disengaged with respect to each other and adapted in their disengaged relation for engaging stitches on and disengaging stitches from either of said respective leg portion. i i 3. A hand knitting stitch holder, comprising a pair of spaced side leg portions, a -connecting portion connecting said leg portions at one end and constituting means for transferring stitches from one leg portion to the other, and a pair of elongated spaced needle point end portions connected to the other ends of said leg portions for engaging stitches on and disengaging stitches from either of said respective leg portions, the

connections between said side leg portions and said end portions comprising converging interlocking connecting portions curved inwardly from said respective leg and end portions adapted'to be engaged and disengaged with respect to each other and adapted in their disengaged relation to permit stitches to pass thereover in either direction to or from said side leg portions and said needle point end portions, said end portions being of relatively greater thickness than, said leg portions and said converging connecting portions.

4. A hand knitting stitch holder, comprising a pair of spaced side leg portions, a connecting portion connecting said leg portions at one end and constituting means for transferring stitches from one leg portion to the other, and a pair of elongated spaced needle point end portions connected to the other ends of said leg portions for engaging stitches on and disengaging stitches from either of said respective leg portions, the connections between said side leg portions and said end'portions comprising converging connecting portions curved inwardly from said respective leg and end portions, and each having a spiral twist formation adapted to be releasably locked one with the other.

5. A hand knitting stitch holder, comprising a pair of spaced side leg portions, a connecting portion connecting said leg portions at one end and constituting means for transferring stitches from one leg portion to the other, and a pair of elongated spaced needle point end portions connected to the other ends of said leg portions for enga-ging stitches on and disengaging stitches from either of said respective leg portions, the 'connections between said side leg portions and said end portions comprising converging connecting portions curved inwardly from said respective leg and end portions, and each having a spiral twist formation adapted to be releasably locked one with the other, the' curves of said connecting portions and their curved connections with said leg and end portions being formed on relatively large radii, whereby the transition of knitting stitch loop over them is substantially unimpeded.

HARRY A, YATES. 

